A whole new you six steps to ignite change for your best life brett blumenthal

Text copyright © 2012 Brett Blumenthal All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher The information contained in this book is intended to provide helpful and informative material on the subject addressed It is not intended to serve as a replacement for professional medical advice Any use of the information in this book is at the reader’s discretion The author and publisher specifically disclaim any and all liability arising directly or indirectly from the use or application of any information contained in this book A health-care professional should be consulted regarding your specific situation Published by Amazon Publishing P.O Box 400818 Las Vegas, NV 89140 ISBN-13: 9781612186153 ISBN-10: 1612186157 For my family, for their love, support, and encouragement GOOD, BETTER, BEST NEVER LET IT REST ’TIL YOUR GOOD IS BETTER AND YOUR BETTER IS BEST —SAINT JEROME CONTENTS A PERSONAL NOTE TO YOU—THE READER PART I: PREPARATION A LOOK AT PERSONAL REINVENTION A LOOK AT PERSONAL REINVENTION HOW TO USE THIS BOOK PART II: YOUR PATH TO PERSONAL REINVENTION STAGE 1: IDENTIFY THE NEED STAGE 2: DISCOVER YOURSELF STAGE 3: DESIGN YOUR VISION STAGE 4: CREATE THE PLAN STAGE 5: MAKE IT HAPPEN STAGE 6: MONITOR YOUR PROGRESS A FINAL WORD PART III: The New You Journal STAGE 1: IDENTIFY THE NEED DIMENSIONS OF WELL-BEING SELF-ASSESSMENT THE PERSONAL SIGNS OF CHANGE MATRIX RATIONAL AND EMOTIONAL SOS ASSESSMENT PHYSICAL SOS ASSESSMENT STAGE 2: DISCOVER YOURSELF MY VALUES WORKSHEET MY MOST IMPORTANT VALUES WORKSHEET MY STRENGTHS WORKSHEET MY WEAKNESSES WORKSHEET MY PAST FEARS WORKSHEET MY CURRENT FEARS WORKSHEET MY CONQUERED FEARS WORKSHEET MY PASSIONS WORKSHEET MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS WORKSHEET MY FAILURES WORKSHEET MY MOTIVATORS WORKSHEET MY UPBRINGING WORKSHEET MY LIFE EXPERIENCES WORKSHEET MY COMBINED EXPERIENCES WORKSHEET THE WHAT I WANT WORKSHEET MY MISSION STATEMENT WORKSHEET STAGE 3: DESIGN YOUR VISION THE PERSONAL REINVENTION GAP MAP MY IDEAL TOMORROW WORKSHEET MY VISION WORKSHEET VISION EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION STAGE 4: CREATE THE PLAN THE BIG END GOALS WORKSHEET THE PRIORITIZATION MATRIX WORKSHEET THE END GOALS, MILESTONES, AND ACTION STEPS WORKSHEET STAGE 5: MAKE IT HAPPEN THE LIST OF AFFIRMATIONS WORKSHEET DUHIGG’S HABIT LOOP MODIFICATION WORKSHEET THE INCONSISTENT BEHAVIORS WORKSHEET MY FAILURES OF REINVENTION WORKSHEET STAGE 6: MONITOR YOUR PROGRESS THE CHECKPOINT EVALUATION WORKSHEET RESOURCES ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR A PERSONAL NOTE TO YOU—THE READER I BELIEVE IN TRANSFORMATION AND REINVENTION I’ve morphed myself numerous times over the years, trying to become better in one area or another I’ve tweaked aspects of my life that weren’t quite working for me, such as developing confidence and comfort with meeting new people, and expanding my social and professional networks I’ve reinvented my perspective and mindset about health and fitness I’ve renewed how I approach love and relationships, even overhauled my way of thinking and perceptions of myself It’s not that I’ve been bored or needed some excitement—change was brought on because of a real desire to address an issue in my life, and an underlying passion for self-improvement The first big change I can recall was deciding I was going to take control of my health and fitness Up until the age of seven I lived in Manhattan, where PE class was nonexistent and recess mostly included a rousing game of Red Light, Green Light, 1-2-3, an activity that by no means required great athleticism When my family moved out to Long Island, New York, however, sports were a big part of school life On my first day in my new elementary school, I was herded onto the open field with my classmates to play soccer, a game with which I was completely unfamiliar Within seconds, I was hit square in the face with the soccer ball It hurt, but the shock and embarrassment stung much worse From that point on, anything sports related became synonymous with humiliation I shied away from sports, telling myself it wasn’t for me It wasn’t until college that I decided I didn’t want to be judged poorly anymore for something I knew I could control I wanted to be fit and strong, and although I might not have had talent in sports, I wanted to at least look as though I could hold my own For the first time, I started exercising regularly The decision was as simple as that But I had to let go of my negative feelings from the past, make a commitment to something with which I was uncomfortable, and stick with it for the longer term Before long, I became an avid fan of exercise and its many benefits I felt physically better, slept better at night, and was generally happier I was better at managing stress and had improved focus in school And the best outcome of my transformation was that I finally started to shed my fear of rejection and to believe in myself I became so passionate about wellness that by the end of my freshman year, I had become a certified fitness instructor, teaching some of the most popular fitness classes on campus Transformations in my life have not just been related to health and fitness After college, I started practicing architecture Within a few years, I became frustrated by the profession: the pay was low, the industry was highly cyclical, and the career path to advancement was longer and more arduous than most I realized that the aspects of my job that I actually enjoyed—client-relationship management, problem solving, and project management—were integral to a much higher-paying, more stable profession: management consulting Given that I had no business experience and came from a design profession, a transition to management consulting was somewhat unlikely Yet, I was determined I did research and applied a relatively rigorous process to making the change I recognized there was a need for change; I analyzed STAGE 3: DESIGN YOUR VISION THE P ERSONAL REINVENTION GAP MAP Visit http://www.amazon.com/newyoujournal for a downloadable PDF of the worksheet templates MY IDEAL TOMORROW WORKSHEET Visit http://www.amazon.com/newyoujournal for a downloadable PDF of the worksheet templates What would my ideal life look like? MY VISION WORKSHEET Visit http://www.amazon.com/newyoujournal for a downloadable PDF of the worksheet templates Vision Statement Draft: My Vision Statement for Personal Reinvention: VISION EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION Visit http://www.amazon.com/newyoujournal for a downloadable PDF of the worksheet templates STAGE 4: CREATE THE PLAN THE B IG END GOALS WORKSHEET Visit http://www.amazon.com/newyoujournal for a downloadable PDF of the worksheet templates THE P RIORITIZATION MATRIX WORKSHEET Visit http://www.amazon.com/newyoujournal for a downloadable PDF of the worksheet templates THE END GOALS, MILESTONES, AND ACTION STEPS WORKSHEET Visit http://www.amazon.com/newyoujournal for a downloadable PDF of the worksheet templates STAGE 5: MAKE IT HAPPEN THE LIST OF AFFIRMATIONS WORKSHEET Visit http://www.amazon.com/newyoujournal for a downloadable PDF of the worksheet templates DUHIGG’S HABIT LOOP MODIFICATION WORKSHEET Visit http://www.amazon.com/newyoujournal for a downloadable PDF of the worksheet templates CURRENT HABIT LOOP What Needs to Change Opportunities for Modification THE NEW HABIT LOOP THE INCONSISTENT B EHAVIORS WORKSHEET Visit http://www.amazon.com/newyoujournal for a downloadable PDF of the worksheet templates Results of Change Inconsistencies Moments of Consistency MY F AILURES OF REINVENTION WORKSHEET Visit http://www.amazon.com/newyoujournal for a downloadable PDF of the worksheet templates STAGE 6: MONITOR YOUR PROGRESS THE CHECKPOINT EVALUATION WORKSHEET Visit http://www.amazon.com/newyoujournal for a downloadable PDF of the worksheet templates How It’s Going RESOURCES R well-being you are focusing on, there are many wonderful books and resources that address the topic of change Here’s a list of some of my personal favorites EGARDLESS OF THE DIMENSIONS OF GENERAL WELL-B EING Duhigg, Charles The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business New York: Random House, 2012 Dweck, Carol S Mindset: The New Psychology of Success New York: Ballantine Books, 2008 Heath, Chip, and Dan Heath Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard New York: Broadway Books, 2010 Kotter, John P Leading Change Harvard Business Review Press, 1st edition (January 15, 1996) CAREER WELL-B EING Buckingham, Marcus StandOut: The Groundbreaking New Strengths Assessment from the Leader of the Strengths Revolution Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2011 Miedaner, Talane Coach Yourself to a New Career: Steps to Reinventing Your Professional Life New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010 Mitchell, Pamela The 10 Laws of Career Reinvention: Essential Survival Skills for Any Economy New York: Dutton, 2010 SOCIAL WELL-B EING Bradberry, Travis, and Jean Greaves Emotional Intelligence 2.0 San Diego: TalentSmart, 2009 Covey, Stephen R The Habits of Highly Effective People New York: Free Press, 2004 EMOTIONAL WELL-B EING Davidson, Richard J., and Sharon Begley The Emotional Life of Your Brain: How Its Unique Patterns Affect the Way You Think, Feel, and Live—And How You Can Change Them London: Hudson Street Press, 2012 Johnson, L Whitney Dare, Dream, Do: Remarkable Things Happen When You Dare to Dream Brookline: Bibliomotion, 2012 LaPorte, Danielle The Fire Starter Sessions: A Soulful + Practical Guide to Creating Success on Your Own Terms New York: Crown Archetype, 2012 Rubin, Gretchen The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun New York: HarperCollins, 2009 Seligman, Martin E P Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment New York: Free Press, 2002 P HYSICAL WELL-B EING Blumenthal, Brett 52 Small Changes: One Year to a Happier, Healthier You Seattle: AmazonEncore, 2011 Lauren, Mark, and Joshua Clark You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises New York: Ballantine Books, 2011 Taubes, Gary Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health New York: Anchor Books, 2008 Wansink, Brian Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think New York: Bantam Books, 2010 INTELLECTUAL WELL-B EING Carson, Shelley Your Creative Brain: Seven Steps to Maximize Imagination, Productivity, and Innovation in Your Life Harvard Health Publications San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2010 Moore, Margaret, and Paul Hammerness, with John Hanc Organize Your Mind, Organize Your Life: Train Your Brain to Get More Done in Less Time Don Mills, ON: Harlequin, 2011 Rock, David Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long New York: HarperCollins, 2009 SPIRITUAL WELL-B EING Chopra, Deepak The Ultimate Happiness Prescription: Keys to Joy and Enlightenment New York: Harmony Books, 2009 Haidt, Jonathan The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom New York: Basic Books, 2006 Kabat-Zinn, Jon Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment—And Your Life Boulder, CO: Sounds True, 2012 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I sincere thanks to all the individuals who have contributed to making A Whole New You the best book possible Thank you to my agents Meg Thompson and Sandy Hodgman for stepping in and running with the ball without missing a beat To my editor, Carmen Johnson, thank you for jumping in with two feet and providing your guidance, insight, and honesty Your commitment to making tight timelines a reality has been greatly appreciated Thank you to the team at Amazon Publishing, including Alexandra Woodworth, Alicia Criner, and Elizabeth Johnson for your time, dedication, and support in this project, and for being with me every step of the way through editing, design, marketing, and publicity Thank you to Lucinda Blumenfeld, my publicist, for being my champion, cheerleader, and advocate throughout this process Having you in my corner has been wonderful Thank you to all the individuals who have opened their hearts and shared their stories about their fears, challenges, passions, and personal reinventions: Jane Chow, Tamara Davies Christie, Debra Cohen, Sam Davis, Carole Brody Fleet, Kristi Jade, Elizabeth Jansen, Tobi Kosanke, Andy LaPointe, Lisa Lewis, Kimberly Miller, Joy Weese Moll, Elizabeth Sandman, Susan Schenck, John Simmons, and Philip Wax Thank you to all the wonderful authors and writers who, unbeknownst to them, have had an influence on this book and me: Marcus Buckingham, Donald O Clifton, Stephen R Covey, Charles Duhigg, Carol Dweck, Chip Heath, Dan Heath, Napoleon Hill, John P Kotter, and Gretchen Rubin Finally, thank you to David for your unwavering belief in my work and in us And thank you to Mom and Bill for always encouraging me to be my best, every day WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY ABOUT THE AUTHOR Brett Blumenthal is the best-selling author of 52 Small Changes: One Year to a Happier, Healthier You, and Get Real and Stop Dieting! She has over twenty years of experience in wellness, and almost ten years in management consulting, advising Fortune 100 companies on managing change within their organizations Brett received her MBA, as well as her bachelor’s degree, from Cornell University She is certified by the Wellness Council of America (WELCOA) and the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) ... to make the changes you want You ll also set target dates for completion and devise an appropriate way to reward and celebrate your accomplishments STAGE 5: MAKE IT HAPPEN In Stage you ll learn... process STAGE 6: MONITOR YOUR P ROGRESS As you make changes and follow your plan, it will be important to monitor your progress This allows you to make modifications to your plan in a timely manner... in change to bring you A Whole New You My goal in writing A Whole New You is to provide a simple yet effective approach to transforming any aspect of your life Over the years, I’ve learned what